


𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 🁡 𝐼 𝐾𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝐵𝑖𝑟𝑑 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠

by Adrenalineshots, sonshineandshowers, TheFibreWitch



Series: Domino 🁡 [17]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Ableism, Angst, Case Fic, Digital Art, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Future, Gen, Hallucinations, Harassment, Health Emergency, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Mental Health Issues, Metafiction, Murder Mystery, Nightmares, Surrealism, Systemic Racism, Trauma, Unreliable Narrator, Video, a lot of really strange stuff that happens in altered states of consciousness, anxiousness, racism against a child, reader-driven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:36:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26503765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adrenalineshots/pseuds/Adrenalineshots, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonshineandshowers/pseuds/sonshineandshowers, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFibreWitch/pseuds/TheFibreWitch
Summary: Selecting 𝐼 𝐾𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝐵𝑖𝑟𝑑 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 from the bookshelf, Malcolm travels through his own mind.Read this story at:https://www.thedominostory.com/#i-know-why-the-caged-bird-singsThis book is one part of the Domino series. If you have not yet read thePrefaceorIntroduction, please head there first.
Relationships: JT Tarmel/Tally Tarmel
Series: Domino 🁡 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926451
Kudos: 2
Collections: Domino 🁡, Prodigal Son Big Bang 2020 - Saturday Posts





	𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 🁡 𝐼 𝐾𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝐵𝑖𝑟𝑑 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jameena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jameena/gifts), [MissScorp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissScorp/gifts), [ProcrastinatingSab](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProcrastinatingSab/gifts).
  * Inspired by [I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/685327) by Maya Angelou. 



> This book is one part of the Domino series. If you have not yet read the [Preface](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497927/chapters/64577434#workskin) or [Introduction](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497927/chapters/64588537#workskin), please head there first.
> 
> Betaed by the wonderful [Jameena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jameena/), [MissScorp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissScorp/), and [ProcrastinatingSab](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProcrastinatingSab/).
> 
> Credit to the creators and their works that inspired and were referenced in this work:  
>  **— Inspiration:**[I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Know_Why_the_Caged_Bird_Sings) \- Maya Angelou  
>  **— Cover Song:**[Why? (The King of Love is Dead)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-I0kVgPZvY) \- Nina Simone  
>  **— Assets:**[Stock Photo](https://www.pexels.com/photo/selective-focus-photography-of-child-hand-1250452/)

[](https://www.thedominostory.com/images/full/i-know-why-the-caged-bird-sings.jpg) |   
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“Fill in that last page, and we’ll be just about done,” Dani says, leaning over Maya’s shoulder. Maya’s kneeling on the chair’s seat to reach the table, a green sharpie wedged between her fingers. Fingers clicking away, Dani works on a laptop at the same time while Maya draws green letters running over the lines throughout the page.

“I brought lunch,” Malcolm says, announcing his presence and holding up the plastic bag with all of the team’s sandwiches stacked inside.

“M!” Maya cheers, scrambling out of her chair and crashing into Malcolm’s legs. He’s pulled into as strong a hug as she can manage, her green hood swinging behind her. The kid loves to get hold of anything in her favorite color, even if it’s not the exact forest green that is the _absolute best shade on the planet_. 

“Hi, M,” Malcolm says, hugging around her shoulders. He attempts to crouch to her eye level, but she won’t let him go.

“I’m gonna get a warrant,” Maya says excitedly into his leg. “I’m gonna get paid for my work.”

Malcolm shares a smile with Dani. Her eyes glow like some of Maya’s childhood energy has rubbed off on her. “JT and Gil are down in interrogation,” Dani says.

“Why aren’t you working today, Bright? I got here and there was no you,” Maya complains.

“I was working, then I went to therapy, and now I’m back. When did you get here?” Though Maya has been to the precinct several times, it’s the middle of the school day, and JT hadn’t said anything about her coming. Maya doesn’t look sick, but she won’t let him go, either.

Dani shakes her head at him, but he gets an answer before he can change the subject. “I got in trouble at school,” Maya says quietly. “But dad says it’s not my fault.”

“Sorry, MT.” He rubs the back of her neck. “Want to fill ‘er up?” She giggles at their round of usual teasing. Not knowing she was there, he hadn’t brought food for her, but he’s sure something in the stack will work. She finally lets him go, and he sets the bag on the table, unpacking the sandwiches. “Meatball sub for Dani and your dad,” he says, sliding one across the table to Dani and setting the other on the table. “Turkey for Gil, and chicken soup for me. What would you like?”

“Will Gil share?” Maya asks.

“I’m sure.” He unwraps half of Gil’s sandwich and cuts it in half again, then pulls together a makeshift plate out of some of the napkins and sets the piece of sandwich on top. Across the table from her papers, Maya starts eating. Malcolm sits next to her and catches up with Dani’s progress so far.

“I smell meatballs,” Gil says, walking in the door. JT’s right on his tail, slipping in behind him.

“This is yours.” Malcolm pats the empty chair on the other side of him where he’d wrapped up the remaining part of the sandwich. “You’re sharing with M. Yours is there, JT.” Malcolm points to the wrapped sandwich in the middle of the table.

“Do you have enough, kid?” Gil asks, looking over at Maya’s portion before he sits.

Maya nods. Gil sits and digs into his sandwich. JT picks up his sandwich, but he doesn’t sit with the rest of the team. Malcolm looks up and sees stress lines across JT’s face. Remnants of a frown are still crinkled into his brow, and his eyes won’t relax at the corners.

“I’ve gotta make a call and follow up downstairs. Would you mind — “

“We’ve got her,” Dani assures him.

“My dad’s in charge!” Maya says, and the whole table gets a laugh as JT leaves.

“I’m gonna get tea, anyone else want some?” Malcolm asks, and at their head shakes, he disappears out the door, following JT. He finds him leaning in the nook between the conference room and Gil’s office, staring at his phone. “Is there something I can help with?” Malcolm asks.

“End systemic racist bullshit?” JT retorts, putting his phone back in his pocket.

Malcolm frowns. “What’s going on?”

JT gestures toward Gil’s office, and they close themselves inside. “Maya got sent home for roughhousing at school,” JT says. “It’s the third time this year and that hit some strikeout thing.” His hand clenches and unclenches at his side. “School pretends they’re equal opportunity disciplinarians when marginalized kids wind up in the principal’s office most frequently.”

Malcolm’s eyes widen and he turns his head to look at the little girl kicking her shoes against the table leg in the other room. She’ll be seven in a few more months. Every time she’s been to his loft, she’s wound up sitting with a book on the floor or following Sunshine. She matches his exuberance, and he’s one of the few people who can keep up with her questions. Though she likes to play-fight at the park, he’s never seen her be malicious toward anyone.

“Don’t give me that look,” JT says, anger sitting under his words. “You think a cop’s kid is immune to the school to prison pipeline?”

“It’s one thing I can never understand, JT.” Malcolm can educate himself, listen, partner in action, but he can’t get firsthand life experience from another race’s perspective. “I’m sorry. Is she okay?”

“They were wrestling like they always do at lunch recess. All four kids got sent home for being — think about applying these words to my six-year-old and her friends — repeat offenders.” JT rubs his brow. “Tal and I are gonna have to fight the school board. It’s fifty years later — we shouldn’t be stuck in the same place in some respects.”

Malcolm doesn’t quite know what he’s referring to, but JT keeps talking before he can attempt to connect the dots.

“I’ve gotta keep her here until one of us can get out, and it’s a tossup whose day is going to be worse.”

“Maya’s,” Malcolm says.

JT’s lips flatten into a firm line. “What do I owe you for lunch?” he asks, reaching for his wallet, but Malcolm shoos it away.

“She can stay with me while I work on the profile,” Malcolm says. “I think Dani’s close to heading off for the ADA.”

“Thank you. She can go with Gil, too, if you have to trade off. Tally’s neck deep in the ER — I can’t even get a hold of her.”

“I’m sorry,” Malcolm offers, not knowing what to say to help the situation.

“My daughter deserves better than what this world is giving her.”

“I know she has the best dad a kid could ask for.” Lightyears better than his own father.

JT’s chin drops slightly in half of a nod, but he doesn’t give any other acknowledgement of the compliment. “I have to go downstairs,” he says and leaves the office.

Malcolm collects his tea and goes back to sit beside Maya and Gil. Maya takes his hand, and only then does he realize a slight tremor has reappeared at the thought of his father. He squeezes Maya’s hand a little harder and it dissipates.

“Do people call you crazy sometimes?” Maya asks, and that draws Dani and Gil’s attention to him.

“Yes,” Malcolm says. “But my friends know that’s hurtful.”

She eats the turkey out of the inside of the sandwich and nibbles on some of the bread. “Does my dad stop that as the boss?”

Gil and Dani chuckle and Malcolm smiles that JT’s not _really_ the boss, but he’ll let it slide. “Yeah, he helps if something happens.”

“What if they don’t tell you to your face?” More turkey goes into her mouth, and she’s only left with a bit of bread remaining on her napkin.

“What do you mean?”

“School’s different because I’m black, but no one says that.”

“It’s not the same,” Malcolm says, but he’s cut off before he can explain further. “Your experience is different, yes,” Dani says overtop him. “Your blackness is something you can be proud of.”

"I'd tell them ‘leave M alone,’” Maya says, her thought patterns in conversation following a path he can’t see. “How come you didn't get Twizzlers?"

“I’m trying to eat soup when I’m hungry. Maya — ” Jackie would be better at having this conversation, anyone in the room would be better at having this conversation, and he keeps getting cut off or redirected before he can collect and get meaningful words in.

“What if I get in trouble again, and my dad can’t fix it?”

“Then he can ask your mom, or Dani, or Gil, or me for help — you’ve got a lotta people, M,” Malcolm says, and Dani says in tandem, “M, this is something you can talk about with your mom and dad.”

“Do you ask them for help?” Maya asks, looking over at Dani with wide eyes.

“Not as much as I should,” Dani admits. “You can. They can help with this.”

“Can we go get a warrant now?” Maya asks, apparently satisfied with their answers for the moment. “I like this job.”

“Let’s go, kid,” Dani says, standing and reaching out her hand. Gil and Malcolm both move to offer Maya can stay with them, but she shakes her head, and they continue out the door.

“Strong head on her shoulders. Might want to watch your job,” Gil teases, cleaning up the paper from his sandwich.

“You’re the one who got demoted,” Malcolm jokes back. He doesn’t move to leave, still trying to figure out how he could have participated in the conversation more effectively.

“Stay informed, be an advocate — that’s how you can help,” Gil says, patting his shoulder. “They might appreciate some support going to that school board meeting.”

“This shouldn’t still be happening.”

“Change it together.”

“Jackie would’ve…”

“She would’ve already been at the school.” Gil laughs, a glow coming to his face at the memory of his late wife. “Would have me on poster duty.”

Would JT and Tally want that? Could the community provide the additional support they need in a public forum? Maybe they’ll want something else. Malcolm will need to ask.

“Someone to babysit later might be some help.”

“Pretty sure I’m bottom of the call list.”

“Okay, M,” Gil teases and smiles.

Malcolm shrugs.

“You’re better with kids than you’ll ever admit. Don’t make this about you,” Gil warns.

Malcolm stretches his hands behind his head and breathes a long sigh. He can think about asking JT after he completes the profile. Alone, apparently, as Gil disappears back to his office.

— ◌◯◌ —

“Man, you’re giving Gil a coronary,” JT says, standing beside Bright’s bed.

It’s a weird place for JT to be visiting, the ICU, one person at a time, only there at Dani’s insistence. Well, if he’s more honest, he wants to be there, but the comfort of an excuse helps him cover the deep level of concern he has for his friend. The guy hasn’t moved an inch or said a peep in days, and the whole thing is disconcerting.

Deep down in some mostly hidden place, JT wants the chatterbox back.

Shifting back and forth from foot to foot, JT looks around the room considering what might be the best place for him to stand. He’s got about thirty minutes before Dani brings Gil back, and it seems too short a time to get comfortable. The place is too sterile an environment to possibly be comfortable.

JT decides on the side of the bed closest to the window with equal ability to see Bright and the sliding glass door. He doesn’t really know where to put his eyes, so he settles for looking at the knit blanket at the foot of the bed.

“I know you said you’d take the secret to the grave, but you didn’t need to actually go there,” he says, kicking the linoleum under his foot. Tally’s in her third trimester — there’s practically no one who doesn’t know she’s pregnant by now. Grumbling to himself, JT hopes his friend lives long enough to meet the baby.

His eyes catch the urine collection bag, and he snaps his gaze to the door. “I don’t know if it’s Dum-Dums or lemon Jell-O or what I should be promising you, but now’s not the time to catch up on all your life’s lost sleep, Bright.”

There isn’t anything JT can do waiting in the hospital. Now that he’s confirmed his friend is still breathing, he’s ready to go back to work as soon as Dani and Gil return. The space suffocating without the sounds of his boisterous friend, he calls Tally, hoping she can hold him over until they get back.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Head back to the [Bookshelf](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497927/chapters/64588570#workskin) to pick another book. :)


End file.
